Lukestone Care Centre

Hello, my name is Russell and I am the Home Manager of Lukestone Care Home. Caring for people has always been my passion, reflecting on my culture, beliefs and religious values. I strive to inspire my team to focus on the core values of care to achieve a deep understanding of Dementia and how it affects the lives and well-being of every resident.

Lukestone boasts some traditional Victorian features and has a very homely feel, with recent interior upgrades that have enhanced its cosy, warm atmosphere. We are known in the area for our excellent Dementia Care; Lukestone has always gained recognition from our stakeholders and our relatives provide very positive feedback after experiencing the delightful service and expert care we provide for their loved ones.

Our Home has a great location; nestled 10 minutes away from Maidstone town centre, five minutes to the nearest train station and just a few yards away from a bus stop, we are very accessible for commuters. We are situated close to an Anglican Church, and to Grange Moor Restaurant and Hotel ­– ideal for relaxation and accommodation for visiting relatives.

At Lukestone, we place high importance on respecting and valuing our team members and part of this involves empowering them with extensive development and training opportunities. I find this brings out everyone’s best and elevates individual self-confidence in providing tailored, person-centred care to our dear residents. Our OSCE Nurse programme has been an amazing success, whereby we develop our Health Care Assistants to become fully qualified Nurses, bringing added strength and deeper knowledge and understanding to our team.

I believe in being hands-on and I support and motivate my team to work hard, with determination, while making them feel valued. I strive to ensure our team members come to work happy and leave feeling fulfilled, knowing that they have shared their best, with the freedom they need to develop and lead. I aim to give my team every opportunity to express their views on how to improve the lives of our residents and make their respective roles rewarding. I also like to instil a sense of self-belief that we can all make positive changes and I inspire everyone to progress.

The close involvement of our residents’ families is also an important part of how we shape a person’s care plan; we strongly believe their contribution refines the success of our team and supports us in caring for our residents with dignity, compassion and respect during their time with us.

Two initiatives I am passionate about launching at our Home are our ‘Dementia Like Me’ programme and ‘Come Dine with me at Lukestone’. Our Dementia Like Me programme will aim to match each of our residents with a team member who shares their interests and hobbies, so they can enjoy spending time sharing the things they both love – watching movies, collecting memorabilia, a passion for the royal family, gardening and more. The programme will provide time and support to celebrate these passions together, or with other residents, team members and family members.

We also have plans to put in place a weekly special event in our dining room to mimic cuisines around the world, and for our residents and relatives to experience Lukestone’s diversity. ‘Come Dine with me at Lukestone’ will be launched to create unforgettable dinner dates between our residents and relatives, recreating special memories of time spent in France, Italy, Spain or here in the UK. We will endeavour to create a special holiday ambience and exquisite dining experiences, supporting our dear residents to relive their fond memories and rekindle passions.

I have ambitious plans for Lukestone and strive to deliver a quality care setting with no boundaries on our aspirations. I plan for Lukestone to be recognised as one of the top providers of Dementia Care in Kent, and across the country, and want to bring my team to the next level of Dementia Nursing Care, where every individual excels with confidence and independence in managing every aspect of residents’ care needs. We will strive for industry recognition and awards for our team’s hard work and dedication and seek collaboration with national Dementia associations to ensure Lukestone is always at the forefront of new developments.

Please come and visit Lukestone and see how we can provide the care your loved one deserves. Our team will be there to show you how we make positive changes in our residents’ lives, making their experiences rich and fulfilled. We don’t see the limits of Dementia, instead we see the profound vastness of life itself through the uniqueness of every individual – and strive every day to nurture and treasure our residents’ lives to make them special at Lukestone.

Please feel free to call me on 01622 755 821.

"When you love what you do, you tend to feel a sense of purpose and belonging and that's how I feel about Lukestone. I feel I am working with professionals that I can learn from.

Recently I got a job offer at the hospital, but when reality kicked-in I realised that I couldn't leave Lukestone. Also, when you have a very understanding Manager it makes it very hard to leave.

Karen has been very caring and understanding when it comes to work. I am currently five months pregnant and as soon as I told Karen she was willing to put me on easier floors.

We have a very good team of staff who work well together which helps us to provide person-centred care."

"I thoroughly enjoyed getting back into caring again, as I find it very rewarding and feel like I am giving back. I enjoy the company of the residents, sitting with them and hearing all their life stories from the past. I like to engage with the residents within activities and like to make them feel at home and well cared for."

"I retired three years ago and often visit my mother who has been a resident at Lukestone since 2019. I enquired about being a volunteer, which was a simple process where I could help in activities. I enjoy working within this area as I find it very rewarding when I can make residents smile when they are feeling low.

I can appreciate the commitment of the Carers and how hard they work with our residents. This gives me an insight and helps me understand the caring side within a Nursing Home. I feel that I can support relatives of other residents and can make them feel at ease. I offer reassurance that their loved ones are being cared for safely, which makes them feel happy that the Home is as it should be."